Relay regulator



p 1959 B. L. CALLENDER RELAY REGULATOR IYNVENTOR. Ber/lard I. (Erik/IdaFiled June 23, 1958 Unit RELAY REGULATOR Bernard-L. Callender, Harvey,Ill., assignor to GPE Controls, Inc., a corporation of Illinois Thepresent invention relates to hydraulic relay regulators of the wellknown jet pipe type, wherein a jet pipe having an axial dischargeorifice at its tip is suspended for swinging about a fixed pivot axis tomove its discharge orifice along a fixed path and facing a receiver ordistributor having therein a port, or more usually a' pair of ports thatare narrowly spaced in the directions of the orifice path, wherebypressure recovered in the port, or differential between pressures in thetwo ports is a function of degree of registration of the orifice withthe port or relative degrees of its registration with the two ports, andtherefore of the angular position of the jet pipe, the port pressuresbeing developed by kinetic energy of a jet of fluid forcibly dischargedfrom the jet pipe orifice and impinging on the port mouth, andconstituting more or less of the jet as determined by the mentioneddegree or degrees of registration, and consequently on the angularposition of the jet pipe, which is determined by the magnitude of acontrol signal applied to it to control that angular position.

uations higher capacity of a relay regulator than that of I theconventional jet pipe as so limited is necessary to conform torequirements of speed and power in a particular situation. Heretofore ithas been customary in such situations to employ a two stage amplifierwherein a jet pipe positions an auxiliary piston in accordance withmagnitude of a control signal, and the auxiliary piston positions a maincontrol valve body connected in a high capacity fluid delivery system.

A primary object of the invention is provision of a novel assembly ofmultiple jet pipe regulators connected parallel whereby capacity of theassembly constitutes a multiple of the capacity of individual jet pipes.

Another object is provision of a novel transmission system for multiplejet pipes, of an assembly of the kind in question in a situationrequiring highly accurate proportional response to signal magnitude, soarranged that the well known characteristics of jet pipe relayregulators, extreme sensitivity and repeatable accuracy of response tocontrol signal variation, are provided by the overall assembly andreflected in its high capacity output.

In the accompany drawings:

Fig. l is a plan, partly in section of a jet pipe relay assembly whereinthe regulator is arranged in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan of an arrangement for I signal transmissionfrom one to another of the jet pipes of a multiple jet pipe assembly.

Referring to Fig. 1, each of a pair of jet pipes 6, 7 is suspended forswinging movement about a different one of a pair of fixed axes 8, 9, towhich the different jet tatesPatent O pipes are radial. As seen in Fig;2 each jet pipe'is pro- 2,904,056 Patented. Sept. 15, 1959 vided with anaxial discharge orifice 10 in its tip, and is mounted on a hollowspindle 11 through which, and through an internal passage in the jetpipe, fluid under pressure is supplied for forcible discharge as a jetthrough orifice 10. Associated with the different jet pipes 6, 7, arereceiver means 12, 13, each of which is provided with at least onereceiver port 14 so positioned with respect to the path followed by thedischarge orifice 10 of the associated jet pipe 6 or 7, that swinging ofthat jet pipe varies degree of registration of its orifice 10 with thereceiver port 14. Thus each jet pipe 6 or 7 and the receiver 12 or 13associated with it constitutes a jet pipereceiver unit. Degree ofregistration of a jet pipe orifice 10 with the associated receiver portis determined by the angular position of the jet pipe and in turndetermines magnitude of pressure developed in the port by kinetic energyof the portion of the fluid jet that impinges on the port mouth. In theillustrated arrangement, Which is most usual in jet pipe installationsthe respective receivers 12, 13 are provided with second receiver ports15 which are narrowly spaced from ports 14 in the directions of swingmovement of orifices 10, so that magnitudes of pressures developed inthe respective ports 14, 15, and differential between them is determinedby relative degrees of registration of discharge orifices 10 'With thedifferent ports 14, 15, and varies with change in angular positions ofthe jet pipes;

In accordance with the invention the regulator assembly includes controlmeans, so arranged that in response to a change in a control signalapplied to the assembly, a corresponding change will occur in the degreeof registration of the jet pipe discharge orifice 10 of each unit withthe receiver port of that unit, or in the relative degrees of itsregistration with the two ports of that unit if the receivers are of theillustrated two port distributor type. Correspondence of changes indegrees of registration of orifices 10 of the different units withsingle ports, as 14, or relative degrees of their registration with dualports, as 14 and 15, of the receivers of the respec- [tive units, is amatter of distance of travel of the axes of the discharge orifices 10relative to the axes of the receiver ports, and the travel distances ofthe axes of orifices- 10 per unit of angular movements of the diiferentjet pipes depends on the axial length of the jet pipe. Therefore thespecific arrangement of the control means, for maintainingcorrespondence of registration of the orifices and ports of all receiverunits, the length of the :jet pipes of the differentunits, and therelative distances .of the different units, all jet pipes are of thesame length,

have their axes disposed in a commonplane, are so tied together as tomaintain those axes parallel, and are so suspended that the fixed axes 8and 9 about which they swing are parallel and lie in a common plane.Correspondingly the axes of, the corresponding receiver ports, as 14,14' and/or 15, 15 of the difierent units are spaced apart along thecommon plane of the jet pipe axes at distances equal to those spacingthe fixed pivot axes 8, 9. In the two port arrangment the: ports 14; 1-5of each receiver are equally spaced.

A conventional jet pipe positioning signal translator includes adiaphragm assembly 1 1 including a diaphragm 18. that. is. disposed formovement in the direction. of

swing of the adjacent 'jet pipe 7 and a push pin 19 being interposedbetween that jet pipe and the diaphragm for positioning the former incorrespondence to the position of the later. In accordance with theinvention a con stant length, but adjustable transmission rod 20 isinterposed between a pair of pad blocks 21 that respectively are mountedon the two jet pipes 6, 7. Rod 20 may comprise a pair of pin elements 22having adjacent ends threaded into a connector member 23 so that totallength of the rod assembly can be adjusted, and having their remote endsdisposed in pockets 24 in blocks 21. Advantageously the end of diaphragmpin 19 is received in a pocket 25 of the adjacent pad 21, so that theaxes of pins 19 and 22 are maintained in alignment. A return spring 26is disposed to the opposite side of the regulator assembly fromdiaphragm assembly 17, and its transmission pin 27 advantageously isrecived in a pocket 28 of the adjacent jet pipe mounted pad.

Corresponding ports as 1414, or 15-15 of receivers 12, 13 are connectedtogether for transmission of pressure and delivery of fluid from thoseports to a common service line, as 31 or 32, or a pair of such lines31,. 32 in the case that the receivers are of two port type. Lines 31,32 are shown as connected to the opposite cylinder ends of a power unit33 in conventional fashion. Such connection of corresponding ports isshown by conduit structure in the form of manifold piping 34, 35.

Employment of a regulator assembly of the character and arrangementherein disclosed provides retention of all desirable characteristics ofjet pipe regulators, such as high sensitivity, response to force orstroke signals of small magnitudes, high power amplification and excellent repeatability, with the additional provision for greatlyexpanded capacity in volume rate of fluid delivery. It will readily beunderstood that many changes in and modifications of the specificexemplary form of the invention herein disclosed can be made whileemploying the invention and obtaining the benefit of its advantages.Consequently it is to be understood that the scope of the invention isto be ascertained solely from the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hydraulic relay regulator comprising plural jet,

pipes, each having an axial discharge orifice in its tip, meanssuspending the different said jet pipes for swing ing movement aboutdifferent fixed axes to which said pipes are disposed substantiallyradial, for movement of their said orifices in fixed paths as said pipesare swung, control means responsive to magnitude of an applied controlsignal for simultaneously swinging the different said jet-pipes inresponse to variation of said signal mag nitude to move their respectiveorifices through distances having preselected ratios to each other andto degrees of signal magnitude variations and in directionscorresponding to senses of such variations, receiver means provided withcorresponding receiver ports that respectively are located in facingrelation to the paths of the difierent said jet pipe orifices and inpositions for corresponding degrees of registration with the differentsaid orifices while 'said jet pipes are in corresponding positions andfor corratios of distances of corresponding movements of the differentjet pipes the orifices of which travel in those said paths, and whereinsaid conduit means interconnect the ones of the ports of the differentsaid pairs that correspond with respect to directions of correspondingmovements of the different said jet pipes in response to the same signalmagnitude variation.

3. A hydraulic relay regulator comprising plural jet pipes, each havingan axial discharge orifice at its tip, means suspending the differentsaid jet pipes for swinging movement respectively about fixed, paralleland laterally spaced axes to which the said pipes are disposedsubstantially radial, for movement of the said orifices in fixed pathsas said pipes are swung, control means responsive to magnitude of anapplied control signal for simultaneously swinging the different saidjet pipes in response to variation of said signal magnitude to movetheir respective orifices through distances having preselected ratios toeach other and to degrees of signal magnitude variations and indirections corresponding to senses of such variations, receiver meansprovided with corresponding receiver ports that respectively are locatedin facing relation to the different said orifice paths and in positionsfor corresponding degrees of registration with the different saidorifices While said jet pipes are in corresponding positions and forcorresponding changes in registration degrees as the jet pipes are swungin response to signal magnitude changes, and fluid conductive meansinterconnecting said corresponding receiver ports for conducting fluidreceived by them to a service line.

4. A hydraulic relay regulator according to claim 3, wherein saidcontrol means maintain said jet pipes with the axes of their dischargeorifices disposed substantially parallel.

5. A hydraulic relay regulator according to claim 4, wherein saidcontrol means include a constant length transmission element disposedbetween each two adjacent ones of said jet pipes.

6. A hydraulic relay regulator according to claim 3, wherein saidsuspension means maintain said jet pipes with their discharge orificesmovable in a common plane disposed perpendicular to the said axes aboutwhich said jet pipes swing.

7. A hydraulic relay regulator according to claim 3, wherein the axesabout which the jet pipes swing are disposed in a common plane, said jetpipes are of equal lengths, said suspension means maintain said jetpipes with the axes of their discharge orifices disposed in a commonplane, and said control means include a con stant length transmissionmember connected to each of adjacent ones of said jet pipes at equaldistances from the different said axes about which they respectivelyswing.

8. A hydraulic relay regulator according to claim 3, wherein the axesabout which the jet pipes swing are disposed in a common plane, said jetpipes are of equal lengths, said suspension means maintain said jetpipes With the axes of their discharge orifices disposed in a commonplane, and said control means maintain said discharge orifice axesparallel and include a constant length transmission member connectedbetween each of adjacent ones of said jet pipes at equal distances fromthe different said axes about which they respectively swing.

9. A hydraulic relay regulator according to claim 3, wherein saidreceiver means are provided with a pair of receiver ports facing eachsaid orifice path, the ports of the different said pairs being spaced inthe directions of the paths that they face and at distances bearing toeach other the same proportional relations as the ratio of distances ofcorresponding movements of the different jet pipes the orifices of whichtravel in those said paths, and wherein said conduit means interconnectthe ones of the ports of the different said pairs that correspond withrespect to directions of corresponding movements of the different saidjet pipes in response to the same signal magnitude variations.

10. A hydraulic relay regulator comprising a pair of jet pipes eachhaving an axial discharge orifice at its tip centered on thelongitudinal axis of that jet pipe,

means suspending the different said jet pipes for swinging movementrespectively about fixed, parallel and laterally spaced pivot axesdisposed in a common plane and to Which the respective jet pipes aredisposed substantially radial, the said jet pipes being of equal lengthsand having their longitudinal axes disposed for movement in a commonplane oriented perpendicular to said pivot axes, a constant lengthtransmission member extended, between and connected with said jet pipesfor pivotal movement relative to them respectively about axes that areparallel to and each of which is spaced at the same distance from theone of said pivot axes about which the jet pipe swings, and that arespaced apart at a distance equal to that spacing said pivot axes wherebysaid jet pipes are maintained with their said axes parallel, receivermeans provided with two pairs of ports, each facing the path of one ofsaid orifices and the ports of each pair being spaced apart in thedirections of the path that they face and at equal distances from amidpoint between them that is spaced from the midpoint of the other portpair at a distance substantially equal to the spacing between said pivotaxes, and conduit means interconnecting the ones of said port pairs thatcorrespond with respect to directions of their spacing from thedifferent said midpoints.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,849,013 Callender Aug. 26, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 572,788 Germany Mar.23, 1933 413,041 Italy Sept. 19, 1945

